Monday, August 27, 2012

I finished it! The stripy scarf is
ready to go. This is the one I started here.

I knitted this scarf on the basis
that if my DH liked it when it was done, it would be his. And, thankfully, it
has been met with his approval. I kept checking to make sure it was long enough
for him, and when it was I stopped knitting.

So it’s got six white blocks and
five maroon blocks. Forty rows to each block. I consulted the client (my DH)
about a fringe, but he deemed a fringe not manly enough. It’s all good, though –
I’m really happy with my second-ever scarf, and with the knitting practice. I’m
going to start experimenting with different projects soon.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

I’ve got very itchy stitchy fingers,
and I couldn’t resist – I had to start another scarf!

I’m still sticking to the garter
stitch (not ready to venture too much right now). I’m using Red Heart’s Super
Saver in Aran Fleck – which I ADORE, and which I bought when I was in the
States this summer – and alternating it with this generic brand I found here in
a nice maroon color.

I had to use size 5mm knitting
needles, which are almost half the size of the ones I was using for my first
scarf (8mm), and the yarn is a 4, almost half the size of the size 6 I had been
using. Let me tell you, going smaller is HARD. I had a false start, had to undo
everything, and then start over again.

But I really wanted to focus on
alternating colors. So far I’ve only got three blocks. I do have to count the
rows this time to make sure they’re all even, but it’s all good.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

I wanna say first thank you all for
always being so sweet and kind to me. I know I haven’t been a very good blogger
lately – I’ve got so many new blogs I want to go through, and so many old blogs
I need to catch up on.

This is just such a busy time! We’re
finally nearing the end of Ramadan (which seems to get harder and harder every
year), and next week we’re heading to Yemen for the end of Ramadan and Eid (the
celebration we have at the end of the month of fasting). I don’t know if you
guys have been keeping up with the news of Yemen, but the situation is not
good. There are suicide bombers and looting, the electricity/phone
lines/Internet are only on for about five hours a day, and there’s very little
water.

So why are we going? That’s where my
husband’s family lives. My DH is half Yemeni and half Spanish. That isn’t so
weird in and of itself, but when you combine the two of us (my mother is
American, from North Carolina, and my father is an Arab, from Kuwait), you get a
mix most people consider strange. At least, that’s what people around here
think.

Anyway, we’re going to Yemen next
week and I’ve been busy preparing. The anxiety has been good for my knitting
though – I finished my scarf!

Isn’t it a beauty? It’s got random
bumps and the edges are all over the place, but it’s super soft and warm and I
can’t wait for winter to wear it! Love love love love love.

I’ll be honing my knitting skills
some more. I get very determined about these things. Some people enjoy learning
new languages or how to play musical instruments. This is where I’m happiest –
playing with thread.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

This was a fun one. A little
difficult with the Light Effects thread, but I love a good challenge. Doesn’t
it look lovely with my first dilapidated biscornu? I’ve got a little collection
going on here.

Picked up my knitting needles again.
I had to buy another ball of yarn, but I’m nearly done with my scarf now. Will
be posting pictures soon!

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

I’ve had to put my knitting aside
this week because I flew through two balls of yarn, realized they wouldn’t be
enough, and now have to make a trip to buy some more.

So, instead, I’m back to my biscornu
obsession! This freebie is courtesy of Chatelaine Designs. It’s gorgeous, isn’t
it? It’s called Debi’s Roses. I stitched it on black 14-count Aida, and the
colors just pop against the background.

This was the first time I’ve ever
worked with DMC’s Light Effects floss, specifically E436, which I substituted
for Kreinik’s 002 V. Oh my goodness, it is so difficult! I mean, the effect is
fantastic, but you have to work doubly hard to get there. I did have a lot of
fun putting all those little beads on, though.

So nothing left for me to do but put
the two sides together and stuff it. And I’ll be picking my knitting back up
soon, I hope.

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Stitching Friends

Methinks it is a token of healthy and gentle characteristics, when women of high thoughts and accomplishments love to sew; especially as they are never more at home with their own hearts than while so occupied.

~Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Marble Faun, 1859

Sheep Virtues SAL

"Little Sheep Virtues." Designed by Diane Williams for Little House Needleworks. Stitched on 28 ct. Coffee Jobelan with DMC threads